Darkness Passes and Light Shines
by Akirina
Summary: Sequel to Light and Dark Side! 900 years has passed since Allen's death and Kanda is still acting as Guardian of Mankind. One day, a boy who looks just like Allen turns up at the Black Order Academy and suffers attacks from demons... What is going on?
1. Death

Akirina: Ok, so I'm back again. Well, if there are any questions about this new story/anything that you'd want to be added/any ideas, pls review! Enjoy this sequel to Light and Dark Side!

Prologue

"_The Lord has decided that you will continue to stay on Earth… And he has decided to bestow you the position of a Guardian." Allen smiled at his dark-haired lover._

"_What does a Guardian do?" His lover leaned forward to steal a kiss from him._

"_Protect mankind against demons." Allen smiled at him._

**AINAINAINAINAINAIN**

It had been 900 years since Kanda had been made a Guardian. And 400 years since Allen had left him. At first, they had been happy, living together and moving from place to place to avoid attention from the humans when they looked too young to be what they claimed their age was on their records. Life had been good and they dealt with any signs of demon summoning rituals or sacrificial rituals they came across. The demons had been increasing in power when humans sacrificed something to them and once in a while, they had to deal with a demon possessing a human body.

Even though they lived happily, Kanda had noticed that with each demon exorcism Allen carried out (he was the only one who could do it since he was part of an angel), Allen became weaker. And towards the last 100 years before his disappearance, Allen had had often come down with some sickness, be it a common cold or stomach flu.

And then, one day, Allen was at home, recuperating from another illness and Kanda had left to stop another demonic ritual from taking place, Tyki had appeared and warned him that there were more signs of demon activity emanating from Hell and that Allen needed to return with him to Heaven so that Neah could do something about it. And these demonic activities involved one particular demon.

Beelzebub.

Kanda had led him back home, but instead of the small cottage they had been staying in…

Everything had been torn apart. The gate was in shambles and the walls of the cottage were torn, deep gashes embedded in it. Kanda had rushed into the cottage with Tyki, dread tightening his chest. And when he stepped into the room…

Blood decorated it. Blood pooled on the floor, splashed carelessly across the ceiling and painted every inch of the room red. And in the middle of the slaughter was Allen Walker. His pale skin standing out against the sickening red of the room. His grey eyes were blank and he stared up at the ceiling, an expression of horror transfixed upon his face.

Kanda couldn't believe it. He stepped forward and his boot sunk into a puddle of fresh blood with a sickening squelch. He turned to one side and was violently sick.

"Kanda…" Tyki's voice called to him. Kanda looked to him weakly. The angel pointed a shaking finger to the paper lying on Allen's chest and Kanda read it silently. His blood froze and his heart nearly stopped. On the innocent piece of paper were four words.

"_It was Kanda Yuu…"_


	2. Entrance

Akirina: Enjoy!

Chapter 1

_It had been years since his return. Allen and Kanda had been living a quiet life since then, with Kanda going off on his duty to be a Guardian of the Earth. Allen was a Guardian, too. But he was their 'trump card', so to say, so he had not gone with Kanda, opting to stay with Lenalee, Lavi and Komui when Kanda was absent._

_At least, that had been the case until a few decades after their friends' deaths that both of them realized that the numbers of exorcisms they had to carry out had been increasing. In the beginning, it was only a handful of middle-aged people, but slowly, the numbers increased and Allen found himself getting worried. This spike certainly wasn't natural and he didn't know what was going on._

_After relaying his worries to Kanda, the two had decided to approach the Noahs for help. Unfortunately, another exorcism had to take place before they could get to the Noahs. Then the two of them realized that something uncanny was going on. The person they had to exorcise was a school teacher. _

_His name was Kevin Yeeger._

ALLENALLENALLENALLEN

The white haired boy entered the general office of the Black Order Academy, reeling at the sight of the disorganized office. Actually, disorganized office was the understatement of the millennium. Arren Wolcher, the new transfer student stared at the haphazard office for a moment before he moved carefully and tried to find someone who would help him.

"Um… Excuse me?" Arren called out nervously as he inched himself around a towering stack of paperwork that was balanced precariously atop a red chair with a black body that vanished into the paperwork surrounding it.

"Hello?" Arren called again and jumped when he saw the chair move.

Arren took a step back, missing another stack of paperwork behind his foot. Glancing around helplessly, Arren decided that the office was just impossible. He would have better success if he just went to the Headmaster's office.

"Ungh…" Arren turned around and his eyes widened comically as the chair moved again, heaving upwards. And the pile of paperwork balanced on it wobbled unstably before it collapsed in on itself. A surprised sound was heard before the papers smothered its source. Papers flew everywhere and the 'chair' was buried with a loud 'thump'.

Arren continued to stare at the pile of papers, unable to believe what he'd just witnessed. His mind could barely process the recent events. Finally, he managed to break out of his shock when the pile moved slightly.

"Hey, are you alright?" Arren reached forward to pull papers off the buried person and pushing them to one side, attempting to unbury the person.

There was a muffled sound that sounded vaguely like "Save me", but Arren wasn't so sure that he had heard correctly.

"Hang on!" Arren pulled the papers away quickly, hoping that he would manage to get the person out before he suffocated. Then the pile of papers shifted and a hand reached out. Arren jumped slightly at the sudden movement, but recovered and leaned down to pull the person out.

The heavy stack of papers fell to one side as Allen pulled the person out and Arren could only stare at the person he had mistaken for a chair. A red-headed boy with green eyes, who looked slightly older than Arren himself, looked at Arren with a sheepish grin.

"Sorry 'bout that." The boy leaned down to rifle amongst the papers and pulled a thin leather-bound book out of the pile. "I didn't expect that to happen… Oh! You're the new transfer student, aren't you?" He peered at Arren. "Arren Wolcher?"

"Uh, yeah," Arren stammered nervously in surprise.

"Ok! Funny surname you have, by the way. My name is Rabistan. Just call me Rabi. My profession is a Bookman." Rabi held his hand out for Arren to shake.

Arren only did so automatically. His jaw had dropped in shock. "Profession?" he asked Rabi, his voice pitched slightly higher than usual. This person, Rabi, had a profession?

Rabi smiled in embarrassment. "Yeah. It's a family business, y 'know? Well, _sorta _like a family business…"

"That's amazing." Arren couldn't help himself. "And I don't even have a job myself yet!"

Rabi shook his head. "It's just a family business." He murmured and Arren could barely catch what he said. "Anyway," the red-head switched the subject, "I'm to be your guide around the school for today, Arren! We share the same classes. But I believe we chose different electives?"

"I have music and combat classes as my elective." Arren replied. "And you?"

"Art and pure history." Rabi told him and pushed open the door, leading Arren out. "We can get your timetable later. I think we're running late for our English lesson."

"Who's teaching it?" Arren asked as they hurried along the emptying hallways.

"Professor Reever Wenham. Although, he admits he'd rather teach physics." Rabi said. "Next lesson, will be etiquette." Rabi wrinkled his nose. "I can't imagine why Colmeui would think we would need that class." He complained.

"Colmeui?"

"Colmeui Ree, our Headmaster. He's from France." Rabi threw an exasperated look at Arren. "Sheesh, Arren, don't you know?"

Arren blushed embarrassedly. "Actually," he admitted, "I only received the letter that I was to attend the Black Order Academy yesterday."

"WHAT?"

Arren winced as Rabi's shout drew attention from the other students in the hallway. "Keep down your volume, Rabi!" He hissed to the older boy, shifting uncomfortably.

Rabi only continued to stare at Arren in horror, as if the younger boy had grown a second head. "How… how did you manage to prepare for school on time?" he asked in shock.

Arren grimaced. And pulled the red-head further down the hallway, away from prying eyes. Rabi started to lead the way again, but he was staring at Arren all the while. "My guardian came up with the idea of making the school uniform through a private seamstress." He told Lavi. "The books were hand-me-downs."

"That's impossible! You can't… can't just _duplicate _the school uniform! It's exceedingly hard to do so! No one's ever succeeded!" Rabi whispered.

"Well, this is actually a hand-me-down that the seamstress altered to suit me." Arren told him. "I got it from my guardian."

"Your guardian?" Rabi asked curiously.

"Kross." Arren answered shortly. "If he's not wrong, he's also the combat instructor at this school. His full name is Kross Malrian."

Rabi gaped.

"What?" Arren fidgeted, uneasy at Rabi's attention. He absent-mindedly noticed that they were now walking down an empty hallway. Where was the classroom that they had to get to? Was Rabi looking at where they were going to?

"Your…" Rabi choked. "Your guardian is Kross Malrian?"

Arren frowned. "They didn't mention that in my records? I'm sure they're there."

"I…" Rabi shook his head, as if trying to break free from a trance. "I never noticed." He confessed. "But this is a great chance, Arren! You can advice the students how to get good grades from Kross and score the highest score yourself! You know him, so he'd probably give you the high marks!"

To his surprise, Arren shook his head in rejection. "No?"

"Don't you know Kross?" Arren asked in exasperation. "He doesn't play fair. Or favourites." Then the white-haired boy looked around. "Rabi, where are we? Are we anywhere near the classroom yet?"

Rabi glanced up from Arren's face, studying his surroundings for the first time. He hadn't noticed when they had wandered into another section of the Academy. The white washed walls were the same, but they were now out in the open. Rabi frowned, not recognizing his surroundings.

"Rabi?" Arren called, drawing Rabi's attention back to him. "Where are we?" the boy definitely looked frightened.

Rabi grinned unrepentantly. "I don't know either."

KANDAKANDAKANDAKANDAKANDA

The blue-haired samurai, Kanda Yuu, Guardian of Mankind, stalked through the dark alleys of London. He had come here for business. To carry out another exorcism on a girl by the name of Mei Lin. Kanda's eyebrow twitched in irritation as he melted into the shadows when a patrol passed by.

Technically, the English police were looking for him, to press charges on assaulting a girl in the public. Only that they had it wrong. Kanda had 'assaulted' her to rid the demon taint from her body.

2100 years ago, Kanda and his lover had found out the reason to why the number of exorcisms had been increasing. This was partly due to the Final Battle between the Noahs and Exorcists. When Allen had sent his brothers and sisters back to Heaven, he had garnered the wrath of the demon, Beelzebub, who had been the one behind the scenes all the time. Beelzebub had been unwilling to relinquish his hold on the human world and when the angels left, he had latched on to the humans who bore the taint of Innocence. Even the souls beyond the veil had not been able to escape.

Beelzebub had been trying to possess one of the humans he had left his mark on, but he had been thwarted by Kanda and Allen again and again. What they had not been expecting was for Beelzebub's taint to latch on to Allen through the many exorcisms. And when Kanda and Tyki had found out what Beelzebub was doing, it had been too late.

And now it was too late for Kanda too. The Holy Father, God, had been extremely upset and furious at Allen's passing and had condemned Kanda to finding Allen's soul. Until Kanda found Allen, he would not be able to die, or rest properly.

All in all, it had been a tiring two thousand years and Kanda was more than willing to give up his life for some rest. Not even Allen could ease the heavy burden time had left on his soul.

The only way for his redemption was to stop Beelzebub and find Allen. And Kanda was determined to accomplish this mission. Both for Allen and himself.


	3. Abduction

**Akirina: Mass updating! Enjoy! :)**

**Some things to note:**

**Rabi [Lavi in the past] is from Germany.**

**Gramps [Bookman in the past] is from Germany too.**

**Colmeui Ree [Komui in the past] is from France.**

**Renaree Ree [Lenalee in the past] is from France too.**

**I think that's about it...**

Chapter 2

"Are you sure we should wander around, Rabi? Why can't we just… I don't know, call someone and ask them to trace us?" Arren whined, looking nervous as they passed through the passages that looked the same to him.

"Come on, Arren, where's your sense of adventure?" Rabi laughed cheerily as he led the way. "After all," he added, "It can't be that bad—" He started to say as they rounded a corner and stopped dead in his tracks.

They were at a dead end.

"Oh." Rabi said weakly.

"Please, Rabi, just call someone in the school and have them come to look for us. I don't want to stay here any longer!" Arren pleaded, glancing around nervously. Something felt off and Arren didn't like it. His instincts were screaming at him to run and just get the hell out of the maze, but Arren did not want to leave Rabi behind, for fear of what might happen to him.

"Fine." Rabi replied, looking slightly shaken by their situation and Arren's pleas. To tell the truth, he was rather freaked out by this maze too. He pulled his phone out, hiding his shaking hands from Arren's view as he dialed a number. Not that Arren would see his fear, he was too busy looking around, after all.

The phone rang for several times before someone picked up. "Rabi? Where are you? Aren't you supposed to be in class?"

"Gramps!" Rabi sighed in relief. "Can you run down my location? The new student and I got lost when we were headed to class…"

Gramps snorted. "You got lost? Heavens and above, Rabi, you've been there for, what, one year already. How can you get lost?"

"That's what I'm wondering as well." Rabi replied grimly. "I think this is one of _his _cases, Gramps."

Gramps fell silent for a moment before he said, "Alright. I want to hear it from you later. I'm running down your location—" Gramps stopped and Rabi sensed his surprise.

"What is it?"

"Rabi…" Gramps finally said, slowly. "I think this is definitely _his _case. You're outside of school right now. In a village more than fifty miles away from the academy."

"WHAT?"

"Exactly. You know what to do. Oh yes, for your information, you're in Martel."

Gramps hung up, leaving Rabi to his shock.

**DPLSDPLSDPLSDPLSDPLS**

"Colmeui!" Reever shouted as he entered the Headmaster's office, only to find that the only occupant of the room was sleeping on his desk.

"Renaree is getting married!" He murmured softly into Colmeui's ear, eliciting a loud shriek from Colmeui.

"Renaree~!" Colmeui gushed, launching himself across the room at an imaginary Renaree before he realized that Renaree was not in the room. "I shall kill the brat who decided to—decided to—"

"Colmeui." Reever interrupted the Headmaster. "Rabi is missing."

Colmeui turned to him in confusion, "What has this got to do with Renaree?" Then his face darkened. "Are you trying to tell me that Rabi…?"

"No!" Reever sighed in frustration. "Rabi hasn't turned up for his English lesson, Colmeui. And the new transfer student, Arren Wolcher has also missed his first lesson. There were some students who saw them walking to the classroom, but they say that the two of them suddenly disappeared into thin air."

"Into thin air?" Colmeui asked sharply. This is one of the most common symptoms that…

"I'm afraid, Headmaster, that Rabi and Arren have been taken by a demon." Reever confirmed Colmeui's fears. "I have sent a notice out to the teachers, so they should be ready within the hour. Kross started off immediately, though."

"Kross?" Colmeui looked slightly surprised. "I hadn't known that he had cared so much about his ward's safety."

"Kross? Caring?" Reever scoffed lightly. "I bet he's only doing it because Arren is the only one who can cheat an entire table in poker."

"True, true." Colmeui mused. "Get Teerdorl to put up more barriers and shields around the Academy."

"Already on it."

**DPLSDPLSDPLSDPLS**

"Are you sure they'll be here soon?" Arren asked, watching as Rabi idly sketched some symbols onto the ground. "What are you doing anyway?"

Rabi hesitated before he replied, "Runes. Protections. And I'm sure they'll be here soon."

"Why are you drawing the runes?" Arren asked curiously.

Rabi glanced around as he sketched the last rune onto the ground before he sat on the ground next to Arren. "Look, Arren, this is kind of complicated…"

"We've got time." Arren said obstinately. "I want to know."

It wasn't that he wanted to know, though. Arren _needed _to know. He had to hear the reason…

Rabi sighed again. "Well… Do you believe in angels and demons, Arren?"

Arren nodded, his heart skipped a beat.

"Well, in the Beginning, God created fourteen angels to guide the fallen sons and daughters of Adam and Eve. These fourteen angels played their roles well, yet they succumbed to the sins that the demon, Beelzebub offered. For a time, the angels were under the control of Beelzebub, wreaking havoc among Earth. God could do nothing and Satan was helpless as Beelzebub was the most powerful among the demons and Satan knew that if he weakened himself by dealing with Beelzebub, the other demons would try to eliminate him. So nothing was done to remedy the situation, for a time.

"Eventually, Exorcists, wielders of the faith of the angels, came into play. They fought against the possessed angels and managed to fight off Beelzebub. Then, one of the angels managed to break free from Beelzebub's control. He left and Beelzebub quickly labeled him as a traitor of the Noahs—the possessed angels. The angel was hunted down and killed, but by that time, they were too late—they killed his doppelganger and the real angel was hidden elsewhere.

A decade passed and the angel started to emerge. He recovered his memories and broke his fellow siblings free from the demon's control in the Final Battle. However, despite having succeeded in freeing his siblings from Beelzebub, it was clear that Beelzebub was not giving up. He has made numerous attempts on conquering the Earth, but has been beaten off by the angels and an Exorcist from that time, Kanda Yuu. There used to be another Exorcist, Allen Walker, but he was killed around nine hundred years ago by Kanda."

"What? Why?" Arren asked, feeling a phantom pain tug at him. He frowned, why did he feel so nostalgic when Rabi told him the story?

Rabi shrugged. "No one knows. Maybe he was annoyed by Walker's presence? Or maybe Walker begged him to release him from the agony of living forever."

"Then why were they chosen? Why did Walker volunteer himself if he knew that they would be living forever?" Arren pursued.

"Maybe he didn't know that immortality would be that bad. Imagine having to live, watching everyone around you die while you didn't age." Rabi suggested.

"But that doesn't make sense." Arren argued.

"It doesn't." Rabi agreed. "Now, let me continue.

"Since Beelzebub has started attacking, Kanda has enlisted the help of the Black Order Academy. He trained some of the teachers, who later on passed their knowledge on to their students and so on. The Black Order Academy was a place for students to study, but it was also a place to train a group of elite fighters called the Braille, who helped to deal with some of the minor cases, such as possession or ritual-cleanups. As you can see, what happened just now was not some kind of simple case where we walked out of the school. We were taken, Arren. Someone removed us from the school compound and that someone was strong enough to break past all the shields the Braille and Kanda Yuu put up."

"A demon." Arren whispered. "It's Beelzebub."

"How can you know that?" Rabi asked. "It could be some other demon."

"No," Arren shook his head, much to Rabi's surprise. "Beelzebub is the mastermind of this. This has his scent all over it."

"What do you mean—" Rabi started to say.

A hand suddenly clapped onto Rabi's shoulder. The teen jumped with a yell and quickly swiveled around, throwing a punch. His punch was caught casually and the two teens found themselves looking at a red-haired man.

"Kross!" Arren exclaimed. "Don't scare us like that!"

Kross scoffed, throwing his cigarette down and putting it out by stepping on it. "Pay attention, brat." He replied. "This is a dangerous place." Arren felt a chill creep up his spine at that.

"Let's leave." He agreed immediately, fidgeting nervously and casting glances around. He did not mention the feeling he had that they were being watched to the other two, not wanting to scare them and not wanting to alert the being that he was aware of its presence.

Kross threw him a knowing look and he quickly pulled the two teens over the portal that he had made. "We'll talk about this later." He agreed and pushed them in, taking a quick glance around before he stepped into the portal and sealed it himself.

As they left, Arren could have sworn that he saw a pair of cold obsidian eyes staring at him from the dark shadows that had gathered in the bright hallways of the place.


	4. Attacks from Hellhounds

Chapter 3

"…And then Kross came to get us." Rabi finished.

"Hn." Rabi's grandfather grunted before he turned to Arren. "Well?"

Arren looked up, only just realizing that they were expecting him to recollect the events that had occurred. His attention had been on the eyes that he had glimpsed when they were leaving the place, so he had tuned everything out.

"Um," he stammered. "It's just as what Rabi said."

"Huh." Gramps—he had said that Arren could call him that—said disbelievingly, knowing that Arren was hiding something. "Well, then you may return to your classes. I believe you have combats class now?"

"Yes." Arren nodded. "But Kross just told me to go later when he is having class with the seniors."

"Class with the seniors?" Rabi interrupted. "That's amazing, Arren! The seniors are really good!"

"Are they?" Arren shrugged. "I bet Kross is only doing it to spite me."

"Or maybe he has something other motives." Gramps said. "I've never heard him transferring a freshman to a senior's class."

"I'm not a freshman! I'm a junior." Arren protested weakly. "He must have his own reasons then. And I'm not going to do anything about it."

Gramps just studied him warily while Rabi shrugged, evidently lost their interest in the conversation.

"Rabi?" A girl appeared in the doorway to the room. "My brother told me that you were here…?"

"Ah, Renaree!" Rabi beamed, turning to Arren. "Arren, meet Renaree Ree! Headmaster Colmeui's younger sister and my girlfriend." The last part was whispered softly to Arren. "Don't let Colmeui hear you saying that, though. He'd murder me because he has a sister complex."

Arren blinked and nodded. Rabi turned to Renaree.

"Renaree, this is Arren Wolcher, the new transfer student. He's also the ward of Kross." Rabi told her cheerfully and watched as the two shook hands with each other.

"Ward of Kross? That's surprising. I never knew that he had a ward…" Renaree said.

Arren smiled weakly. "Actually… he's more of my great-uncle."

Silence ruled as everyone gaped at him.

"Great-uncle?" Rabi forced out finally. "You never said that, Arren!"

Arren ducked his head sheepishly. "It's nothing, really. I'm related to him through his wife, Mareia."

"Mareia Ottoman? She was a great opera singer!" Rabi started. "I never knew that he was married, though."

"Well," Arren shrugged. "That's his business, if you ask me. Besides, great-aunt Mareia died twenty years ago, before I was born."

"Still…" Renaree hesitated, "We've never heard him talk about you at all. I mean, if you look at the teachers, only Kross doesn't talk about his family and we assumed that he never had any relatives."

"Kross is like that." Arren dismissed casually. "I've known him long enough, after all."

"How long have you been staying with him?" Rabi asked curiously. "Surely we would have heard something about you being his ward when you were young."

To their surprise, Arren fidgeted slightly before he replied, "I don't want to talk about it. Kross only took me in when I was nine years old, anyway, so there isn't any difference."

**DPLSDPLSDPLS**

"I thought you should know that there has been a demonic working in the Black Order Academy itself." Colmeui's voice crackled over the cell to Kanda's ear. "Rabi and a new student were taken, but Kross managed to find them."

Kanda Yuu had always thought that it was ironic that the people that he had known would reincarnate and come to serve the Black Order again. Fate was a bitch.

"Now, then," Colmeui's tone changed. "Have you bought those biscuits that Klaude requested? Or the tea set that Renaree asked you for?"

Especially with Colmeui, or Komui as he was known back then.

"I'll contact you later." Kanda grunted as he shoved the possessed woman back onto the bed, gathering power into his hand that was holding her down. He held the phone to his ear with his shoulder easily. He would have used earplugs, but he knew that that was a bad idea, having had a bad incident involving earplugs and possessed beings two hundred years ago.

"Wait—" Kanda snapped the phone shut and started to chant, watching as the possessed woman's thrashing grew wilder… and then as he finished the chant, she fell back to the mattress, limp and unmoving.

Kanda moved off her fluidly. He knew that she would awake the next day with a bad headache and no memories of what had happened. She'd most likely catch a flu, he knew.

Now… this demonic working sounded quite interesting… Kanda was tempted to return to the Black Order Academy and attempt to find out what had happened. But he had a whole stack of work to finish first before he could leave the demon infested town of Montana.

**DPLSDPLSDPLSDPLS**

"Kross?" Arren peaked into the combat classroom nervously. He was afraid that he was late, having been caught up in the crowd clamouring to know more about him when he tried to get to his classroom and had only managed to escape moments ago.

"Ah, Wolcher."

Arren winced, knowing that he was in deep trouble from Kross's tone. "Like being fashionably late, don't you?" Kross smiled dangerously. The whole of the senior class merely stared at this seemingly frail freshman that had entered their class. Most of them were furious that he was able to enter a senior class and that Kross appeared to favour his ward because he had allowed Arren to have class with them.

"Ten rounds around the gym." The senior class turned to gape at Kross. Ten rounds around the gym? That was ridiculous! The gym was, like, humoungous (although it was only 20km that Arren had to run for one round) and 10 rounds around that… _thing _was impossible! The seniors firmly believed that Arren would not be able to survive the lesson, much less the first ten minutes.

Arren left, seemingly unfazed, although he looked slightly thoughtful. Then, Kross settled into the lesson and started to instruct them on their defensive styles. Ten minutes passed and there was a knock at the door, disrupting the lessons. The class was seriously surprised when Kross pulled open the door to reveal Arren.

"I finished the ten rounds." Arren stated, handing ten ribbons to Kross. "There was this teacher, Klaude who asked me to hand you these as proof that I had completed."

Kross didn't seem suspicious, but he sighed in exasperation. "You did that on purpose, didn't you? Go again."

The whole class gaped at Arren and Kross again. Now they were sure that Arren would not survive. Arren proved them wrong. In less than five minutes, he entered the classroom again. It was only then that Kross allowed him to seat with the seniors and listen to the lesson.

At the last twenty minutes of the lesson, Kross started to pair the class off. However, there were an odd number of students, so he had no choice but to take Arren. Arren smiled at the challenge that his uncle was sending him and settled into the familiar rhythm of ducking and striking out at his mentor. The whole class were transfixed by their fighting.

Eventually, it became clear that both were tiring out quickly and Kross stopped the class, calling an end to the lesson.

"Did you see that move?"

"That was amazing!"

"I wish I could fight like that…"

"Now I see why Kross allowed him to come…"

The seniors whispered eagerly among each other, casting considering looks at Arren. Arren himself was slightly freaked out by their interest in him and would have given anything to keep their attention from him. Even if it meant doing something drastic that Kross did not like.

Unfortunately, his wish was granted right at that moment.

Kross had been turning his back on the only window in the class, and so he never saw it coming. The window exploded as something smashed through it, shattering the glass and throwing it towards the class and Kross.

Arren ducked and scampered out of the way of the trampling crowd. The seniors were panicking and most of them had pulled open the door and escaped into the hallways of the school. However, there was not only one attacker. There were another series of snarls and Arren heard the sounds of windows shattering out in the hallway. It was hard to estimate the number of creatures… maybe twelve? Or eleven.

Kross had pulled out a tuner now. He was facing the snarling and growling creature that was prowling towards the remaining students in the class.

"Arren, get to the piano!" Kross yelled as he struck the tuner. "I'll keep them busy!"

Arren nodded jerkily and sprinted to the piano at the other end of the classroom. He had never noticed that the piano was there and idly wondered why Kross had put it there. He pushed that thought out of his mind as the creature lunged at him, cringing. But Kross struck the tuner again and it stopped, huddling in on itself, whimpering.

Arren pushed open the piano cover as another creature burst into the classroom, shattering the door into pieces. More of its kind were gathered behind it and now they had found the window.

"Arren!"

Arren focused and started to play a small melody that he had invented himself when he was very young… The melody he had invented when his parents first died, crucified and then burnt like witches.

His hands moved automatically, weaving the peaceful tune. The students relaxed visibly and Kross looked relieved. The creatures were whimpering at the sound of music now and they were starting to retreat. But Kross struck his tuner once more and the huddled creature— the first one that they had encountered—yowled and died, becoming a small pile of sand.

When all the creatures were gone, Arren stopped playing the piano and turned to his uncle.

"What on earth was that?" He demanded.

Kross sighed and gestured for the rest of the surviving class to gather around before he started to explain.


	5. The Taint

Chapter 4

Three hundred years ago…

The junkie was slammed into the wall fiercely just as the contents in the pentagram were upset. There were cries of outrage, both from the summoner and the summoned as the portal to Hell slammed close. Another takeover of Earth prevented.

The blue haired samurai leaned back, tugging on the hair of the junkie fiercely, glaring at the weak human.

"Human," He scoffed, throwing the now sobbing almost-summoner against the wall of the room. "Always so weak." He gritted his teeth as thoughts of another human, just as fragile as these… vermin, but stronger in will and mentality, flooded his mind.

Nostrils flaring, the man swept out of the room and down the deserted corridor. The Black Order would find someone to clear up the mess, let them deal with it, he thought to himself as he caught the terrified gazes of other residents from the shelter of their own apartments.

He took a deep breath of fresh air as he stepped out of the block of apartments. One hundred years had passed since Allen's death… A feeling of intense grief overwhelmed him and raising his hand to his face, he felt the wet tracks of tears on his cheeks.

He blinked. He hadn't cried… not since Allen left him…

"Ah, Kanda Yuu. Still carrying out your job?"

Kanda turned to glare at the speaker, knowing who it was.

"What do you want?" he snapped nastily. "I thought it would be very busy up there. If you have so much time to come see me, why don't you use it on suppressing the bastards?"

Tyki Mikk, angel of Pleasures, smiled languidly at him. "Well, I'm here to deliver a message, actually."

"What?"

"We have been suppressing the demons, you know. It's only that humans want to summon them, to get the taste of the forbidden fruit, you know. Anyway, we thought that you should know that Beelzebub's making his move." Tyki said.

"And?"

Tyki sighed roughly. "Look, Kanda, the Lord does not trust you. He believes that you killed Allen, although he knows that it is possible that someone set you up. But he does not know you and he does not want to, for fear that you, the possible murderer, might convince him that Allen was killed by someone else. I'm sure you know why I'm saying this."

Kanda remained silent, choosing to glare at Tyki. Tyki only levelled a calm look back at him. Eventually, Kanda stopped and looked away.

"I know. This is my chance to redeem myself and to avenge Allen's death." Kanda murmured. "And it is one way to lessen my punishment if Beelzebub confessed."

Tyki nodded. "Or until you find Allen himself and bring him to us."

"And you know that's impossible. How would Allen still be here? He must be caught by one of the demons!" Kanda exclaimed heatedly, his brows furrowed.

"And you forget that Allen is part of us." Tyki reminded him. "He would not be caught that easily."

"You say that as if you are sure of it." Kanda said accusingly.

Tyki smiled sweetly. "Of course I am. Now, back to work."

**DPLSDPLSDPLS**

It was two hundred years later that Kanda met Tyki Mikk again. This time, they met in a small café in London.

"Hello, Kanda." Tyki seemed unusually grim, Kanda noted. He had changed from the last time they met; Tyki took on the guise of an old man now, and he did not look any cheerful.

Kanda settled for a curt nod before they took their orders from the waitress. Then, while they waited for their beverages, Kanda studied Tyki more closely. There were dark shadows lurking behind his expression, conveying that the news he carried were not good.

Kanda took a sip of the awful coffee that the waitress served before he broke the silence. "What is it, now?"

"Hm?" Tyki looked up, seemingly interrupted from his thoughts. "Oh."

Tyki reached out for his cup, looking into the swirling depths before he downed the contents in one gulp. Then he leaned back and rubbed his temples.

"I have bad news." He started. The corner of Kanda's lips twitched.

"Don't you always?" Kanda retorted lightly. "Now get on with it."

Tyki raised an eyebrow at his light-hearted comment before he continued. "We found another reincarnated Exorcist by the name of Suman Dark. We had to exorcise him…"

"Suman?" Kanda frowned. "But…"

"You do notice that so far, we have had to exorcise two former Exorcists, right?" Tyki interrupted. "Something bad is going on, Kanda. Originally, we had a theory that the ex-Exorcists would not be as easily possessed by the demons. But after looking at Suman Dark, we have come to a conclusion that we are wrong. There is something else going on here…"

Kanda continued to frown, looking away, remembering the time that they had to exorcise Kevin Yeeger. There was nothing wrong with the old man, only that he had said something that hadn't sat with Allen very well…

"I remember the case about Kevin Yeeger…" Kanda started, drawing Tyki's attention. "Maybe it isn't much, but thinking back then, there was something that he said that made Allen afraid and forced him to go to find you for help…"

"Was there?" Tyki asked sharply. "He never told me. And I recall that he was without you."

"Yes," Kanda agreed. "Sneaky bastard gave me the slip. But anyway, the man said this: you will never escape, the Taint will be upon the faithful marked ones forever…"

"Faithful marked ones?" Tyki mused. "Could that refer to the Exorcists? It does make sense, they wielded our faith in our Lord, and that in of itself is a power… It could explain marked, as well… Innocence has always left a mark upon the humans…"

"And the Taint that Yeeger spoke of? What could he be referring to?" Kanda asked.

Tyki was silent for a while, rummaging through his memories for anything helpful. Then, he started, remembering something… but that was not possible, was it? Something must have shown on his face, for Kanda asked urgently, "What is it?"

"Maybe I'm wrong, but…" Tyki started to blabber, "I remember the day of the Final Battle, when Neah banished Beelzebub… For one moment, I saw something dark detach itself from Beelzebub and attached itself to all the Exorcists in the area… some black pieces disappeared—they must have gone through space and time…"

"You mean that the Taint was left behind by Beelzebub?" Kanda asked, "Then why wasn't I affected?"

Tyki replied, "I don't know… Maybe it's something to do with the fact that you have died two times…? I know that Allen was marked…"

"That would explain why he was getting so weak!" Kanda realized. "He must have been fighting with the Taint itself, seeing as he is an angel himself…"

"And he escaped." Tyki agreed. "Although it came at the price of his current life…"

Kanda turned away, trying to hide his grief that had surfaced. Talking of Allen like that… He didn't want to believe that the person he loved was gone… That he could never go to find him because he had a job to do…

"I'm sorry." Tyki said awkwardly.

"But at least now we know why."


	6. Third Attack

Chapter 5

Arren opened the door to his room with a sigh. Finally, the hectic day was over. It was his second day at the Black Order Academy and Arren found that he enjoyed his classes a lot, although the teachers weren't necessarily friendly. (Sokaro and Gramps, for example.)

It had been two days since Kross told them about what had attacked them. They were Hellhounds, companions of Beelzebub, who was planning to take over Earth.

_Drip._

Arren stopped in the threshold of his room. What was that sound? His ears strained to hear the noise, but he could hear nothing but his slightly hitched breathing.

_Drip._

There is was again. Was it a leaking pipe? Arren reached for the switch and flipped it on, feeling his fingers come away with a wet sticky substance. Light flared and Arren was temporarily blinded. Then, he became aware of a loud buzzing sound. Insects…?

Arren gasped. His room was splattered with blood, its source having come from the carcass of a large wolf lying on his bed. The buzzing noise was coming from the numerous flies surrounding the body. But they were now gathering in the middle of his room…

Arren was well aware of the danger. He stepped back shakily, his hand fumbling for the door knob behind him as the flies continued to gather. His eyes flicked back to the corpse and he nearly gagged at the sight of maggots wriggling in the meat of the wolf.

By some miracle, Arren managed to trip back into the hallway and slam the door close. Then he started to stumble down the corridor quickly, wanting to find someone—anyone. He only managed a few steps when he heard something impact against the door to his room with a loud squelch. Arren turned around to see a few flies escaping the closed room. He turned and ran.

**DPLSDPLSDPLSDPLS**

"Never have I seen anything like this in my life…" Gramps muttered as he studied the wreaked room of Arren Wolcher. He pitied the poor boy, but was also suspicious of him. Two attacks and one abduction… this boy had to be special to attract so much attention from a demon. A higher-level demon, Gramps corrected himself, looking around the room again.

"Gramps?" Rabi peaked into the room. "Arren will be staying with us. Is that fine?"

Gramps nodded. An enigma, he thought. He loved solving puzzles.

"Have you found anything?" Rabi asked, wandering in, wrinkling his nose at the bloodied, gruesome room. "Poor Arren."

"Nothing except that he must be very special to the demon…" Gramps murmured.

"Special?" Rabi asked. "Oh yeah, Arren said that he thinks that someone called Beelzebub might have something to do with this."

"Who?" Gramps spun around and said fiercely. Rabi was rather taken aback.

"Whose name?" Gramps demanded wildly, grabbing Rabi.

"Sheesh," Rabi twisted out of his grasp. "No need to be so agitated. Arren said Beelzebub. Actually, he didn't really say anything. Just went into something like a trance and said that. He's sleeping in my room now."

"I need to talk to him." Gramps brushed past Rabi quickly. "There is something wrong with this case, now. This is bad."

"Hey," Rabi protested, following Gramps. "Don't wake him up, Gramps. The poor kid's had to deal with so much today."

"He'll have to deal with some more, then." Gramps said firmly as he entered Rabi's room and headed to the small bed in the corner.

However, much to their surprise, Arren was not resting. He was awake, but he stared unseeingly at them, as if seeing something else.

"Arren?" Gramps called, "I want to talk to you about something."

"What is it, Bookman?" Arren replied and Gramps threw a look at Rabi. Rabi shrugged his shoulders, confirming Gramps suspicions that Rabi had revealed that they were Bookmen.

"You said it was Beelzebub…" Rabi prompted. Arren turned his blank gaze on the teen and Rabi flinched.

"Yes. Yes, I believe I did say that, Lavi." Arren mused slightly. "Beelzebub. Demon."

"It's Rabi, not Lavi." Rabi muttered, but Arren caught that.

"Oh, no, it's Lavi. We never call you Rabi, Lavi. You said it was one of your identities. Besides, you _are _Lavi. Or was known as that." Arren smiled benignly at the red-head, not noticing the expressions that Gramps and Rabi exchanged.

"Is he right in the mind, Gramps?" Rabi whispered rather loudly.

Arren smiled blankly at Rabi. "There's no need to talk as if I'm not here, Lavi. I can see perfectly, you know. The past and the present…"

Rabi glanced at his grandfather in concern, but the old man was staring at Arren intently. "What about me?" Gramps asked demandingly. "What do you see?"

Arren frowned slightly. "You're Bookman, didn't I tell you that? I never knew your real name, but you told us to call you Bookman, for that was what you are."

Gramps stumbled back slightly, staring at Arren as if he had seen a ghost. "It's true, then." He murmured. "Kanda Yuu was right."

"Kanda? You've seen him? Where? I need to meet with him… need to tell him…" Arren's face twisted with pain, grief and sadness. "I need to tell him what happened."

"Who were you?" Bookman asked. "How do you know Kanda?"

"I'm Allen Walker." Arren replied after a moment, saying the name as if it were enough. It was. Bookman blanched and he nodded jerkily once before he left the room. Rabi stared after his grandfather before he turned towards Arren and gingerly seated himself beside the teenager.

Rabi considered Arren for a moment before he asked, "So what are you seeing now?"

**DPLSDPLSDPLSDPLS**

"Call Kanda back here now, Colmeui. Tell him it's an emergency." Gramps urged the Headmaster. "I think we've found Allen Walker."

"Call Kanda?" Colmeui said. "He's dealing with a possession problem in Venice or somewhere…"

"And he'll be pissed if you don't tell him that Allen Walker is here. Now get on with it!" Gramps barked. Colmeui cowered.

"Fine, fine!" Colmeui whined. "Why does everyone like to pick on me so much?"

"Because you are the Headmaster. Now hurry up!" Gramps said irritably. "And tell him that I want to talk to him too."

"Yes, yes," Colmeui sighed. "Sometimes I don't know who's supposed to be in charge. Me, the Headmaster or they, my subordinates?"

"Don't use such a rude word, Colmeui." Gramps admonished. "And make haste please."

He only received another grumble from Colmeui as he punched in Kanda's number and then held the phone to his ear, hearing the ringing tone.

And then, he waited.


	7. Meeting

Akirina: Another mass update again... The chapters seem to be quite short, don't they? Anyway, enjoy!

Chapter 6

"Kanda?" Colmeui said when he heard Kanda's gruff voice. "We need you back here now."

"What is it again? Don't tell me that you want me to repair a burst pipe—like what you did last time." Kanda growled. "I'll carve you to pieces if you do that."

"We have an attack." Colmeui interrupted. "A student has been attacked at least three times, now."

"What?"

"You heard me." Colmeui said grimly. "We need you back here right now."

"I'm on the way." Kanda said shortly.

"There's something else," Colmeui added. "There's someone by the name of—"

Kanda hung up abruptly.

Colmeui stared at the phone that was transmitting a dial tone at him. "Sheesh! And I wasn't going to tell him to help me find a tutor for Renaree!"

"Colmeui, has he answered?" Gramps shouted from the other room. Colmeui turned around and gulped.

**DPLSDPLSDPLS**

Three days later…

"Class, this is the transfer student from Japan. His name is Kanda Yuu." Their homeroom teacher announced to the class. "I hope you will take care of him… Kanda, why don't you seat next to Arren?"

Arren looked up from the homework that he was trying hastily to complete, only to catch an expression of intense shock and grief cross the blue-haired guy's face before it was covered by an emotionless mask. Arren frowned.

Kanda made his way quickly to the seat beside Arren's and they sat in silence for the rest of the period. Finally, the bell rang and Arren stood up quickly with a sigh of relief. Lessons were starting; he'd no longer be stuck with Kanda…

"Excuse me." Kanda broke into Arren's thoughts. "But Professor Wenham told me that we have the same lessons together."

The first feeling that crossed Arren's mind was surprise, followed by annoyance.

_Time has really tempered down Kanda's temper and built up on his patience._

Then Arren shook his head. What was he thinking? He had never met Kanda before… Then he noticed Kanda looking at him with a curious look on his face. Arren laughed nervously, knowing that he had to explain before Kanda misunderstood.

"I'm sorry." Arren apologized. "I was just thinking that time has really done wonders to you… But that's ridiculous, isn't it? I mean, we've never met before."

Then he frowned at Kanda's reactions to his words. Kanda had paled and was hyperventilating slightly. A strange reaction, Arren thought. It was… It was almost as if Kanda had… as if what he said was true…

"Kanda?" Arren called.

He saw Kanda shake himself out of whatever it was and followed him down the halls to their first lesson, art.

**DPLSDPLSDPLS**

Throughout the day, Kanda threw contemplating glances at the enigma that was Arren Wolcher. When Kanda had first set his eyes on the boy who was targeted three times, his first thought that this boy was Allen Walker. White hair, grey eyes… just missing the cursed eye…

An exact duplication of Allen Walker.

And their names were… similar. Arren Wolcher sounded like Allen Walker. The similarities were too many to be just coincidence. Kanda was nearly sure that this boy was the reincarnation of Allen Walker.

And yet, it was as if they were two completely different entities. Arren was an introvert, unlike friendly Allen. Arren had no friends, unlike popular Allen. Arren was intelligent… not that Allen wasn't, but Arren managed to spot things that Kanda was sure Allen wouldn't.

But both were kind, gentle people. And Kanda found himself growing increasingly bewitched by Arren a.k.a Allen, even though he had sworn not to fall in love again, lest his heart be broken by the death of his beloved.

And yet, Kanda still found that a part of himself loved Allen. He had never stopped loving Allen. Never. And now it was Arren that he loved. It wasn't betrayal; not exactly. It was just that he wasn't the same as before.

So why did he feel as if he were betraying Allen?

**DPLSDPLSDPLSDPLS**

Arren wandered down the halls of the dormitories aimlessly. School had just been dismissed, but Arren had been wandering the halls for far much longer than that. How long? Arren wondered. How long had he been wandering around? He could not remember.

All he had known was that something bad was about to happen. Something bad was coming. And that anyone around him would be in danger.

"Arren!"

Arren turned around in slight panic. Rabi? What was he doing here? Didn't he know that something bad was about to happen?

"Arren!" Rabi called again, hurrying towards his friend, feeling worry when he saw the blank expression on Arren's face. What was going on? Why did he feel compelled to go nearer… to hurt Arren?

"Get away, Rabi!" Arren shouted. "Something bad is about to happen…"

The ominous statement made Rabi shiver. "We have to go, Arren. Come on, you'll have to explain why you didn't turn up for lessons at all, today."

"Rabi." Arren grew frantic. "Please, leave."

"Not without you, Arren." Rabi said firmly, determined. "I'm not leaving—" He was cut off, his face going blank suddenly as he dropped his books, the papers scattering all over the ground.

"Lavi!" He heard the frantic shout of Arren as his mind was steeped in a dark pool of pain. His body convulsed, twines of dark energy emerging from Lavi's body and wrapping around his body, curling into a ball. They swirled together, forming a small circle in the middle of his chest. A rumble shook the building.

Arren backed away. Something bad was coming. So bad. He almost retched, but he had skipped breakfast because he was so focused on the foreboding feeling he'd had.

"Kanda…" Arren was wild with panic. Anything… Anyone would do! Just get rid of the creature coming through! "Kanda!"

The wards tore apart with a shriek and Arren got ready to run, knowing that he wouldn't make it. And then, to his horror, he saw a hand emerge from the hole in Rabi's chest… a forearm…

"What the hell are you standing there for!" Someone shouted behind him. "Run, you beansprout!" Arren turned around to glimpse Kanda sprinting past him at an abnormal speed and dashing towards Rabi. Bright flashes of light countered with the dark energy and Kanda started chanting a long latin verse.

He reached for Rabi's head, ignoring the loud growls and rumbles coming from the hole formed with dark energy, instead he exorcised the Taint from Rabi's body and mind and soul. Then he threw a look at Arren, who then realized that he was also chanting latin, but a different verse.

Kanda had a slightly wistful look on his face and then Arren realized that he was going to do something…

"No!" he cried out as Kanda jumped into the swirling hole. He took a step forward, reaching towards Kanda just as the dark energy disappeared. Everything was peaceful again.

But a storm raged on in Arren's mind and heart.


	8. Rescue

Chapter 7

"Won't you tell them anything, Arren?" Rabi asked, watching the doctors bustle around the room of Arren Wolcher. "I mean, they are trying to help you recover from the trauma…"

"My name is Allen Walker and I have nothing to do with you." Arren stated bluntly. "I'm not talking to my kidnappers."

"And why are we you kidnappers? We haven't done anything wrong." Rabi argued.

"That's where you're wrong." Arren countered. "I don't want to be here. I have no loyalties to you, but myself. Everyone has betrayed me. I can't trust you."

Rabi sighed. "If you say so, Allen."

Arren blinked.

"What is it?" Rabi asked.

"That's the first time you've called me Allen." Arren pointed out. "I find it suspicious that you are finally acknowledging my name."

"Well, it's your name, isn't it?" Rabi reached over to ruffle Arren's hair before the teen dodged. "I'll call you by your name."

It was such a strange reply, Arren thought. Yet, it was also strangely comforting… as if Rabi—Lavi—believed him.

"Hey, Lavi."

"Hm?"

"What happened?"

Rabi looked at him curiously. "What?"

Arren sighed irritably. "You know. What happened after I died?"

"After you died?" Rabi looked bewildered. "You didn't die. At least, I have no recollection. And I'm Rabi, not Lavi."

"Isn't your name Lavi?" Arren frowned. "At least, you said your 49th identity was by that name."

"49th identity?" Rabi asked. "I—" then he broke off, frowning slightly. "Well…"

"You remember something?" Arren looked up eagerly, hopefully.

"No… But," Rabi hesitated. "When I was younger, I used to have dreams about being called Lavi… and having friends called Allen and Lenalee…"

Arren perked up eagerly. "You remember?"

"No… Besides, it was just a dream." Rabi dismissed it.

Arren shrugged, frowning slightly as he slumped back into the pillows. "What are you going to do with me now?"

"What?" Rabi glanced at him. "Who said we were going to do anything with you?"

"Well… You know there's a demonic working going on." Arren pointed behind Rabi. Rabi turned around and to his horror, a dark portal was forming in the doorway of Arren's room. The doctors who were bustling around them earlier were gone.

"They're most likely dead." Arren told him, as if reading his thoughts.

"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Rabi shouted as he lunged at Arren, knocking him over the side of the bed. "We're in deep trouble now."

"Yeah, I kind of figured that out." Arren replied, grabbing Rabi's phone from the pocket of his jeans. "Shall I call Kross now?"

"And what will he do? We're on our own now!" Rabi whispered as the room rumbled ominously. The demon was entering the room.

"There's another option." Arren looked at the window. Rabi took a look at it before he turned back to Arren.

"Are you serious?" Rabi asked.

"Quite." Arren nodded.

Rabi considered it and the room rumbled and groaned. "It's the only option." He decided. "Better than being stuck with a demon, anyway."

The two of them leapt out from their shelter and dashed across to the window. Rabi made the mistake of looking at the portal and nearly stopped to vomit. In the black hole of the portal, an enormous skeleton was crawling out of the deep abyss of Hell. Its glowing red eyes flashed an eerie black when it caught sight of them and tendrils of dark energy snaked towards them quickly.

Arren pushed Rabi, sending both of them crashing out of the room through the window. They plummeted towards the ground, Rabi screaming all the way, thinking for sure that he was going to die; while Arren laughed beside him, enjoying the free fall.

"Allen!" Rabi screamed in terror. "Do something!"

Just as the words left Rabi's mouth, there was a hard jerk and the two teens stopped falling. The two looked up to see that a man had wrapped a hand around both their waists. And he was standing on air.

"Sheesh, can't Kanda take care of two teens?" The man murmured to himself. Arren scowled at him, while Rabi breathed shakily, trying to recover from the experience.

"What? I can take care of myself, thank you very much for your concern, Tyki." Arren snapped. "Now, what are you here for?"

The man, Tyki, blinked at Arren in surprise. "You remember me, boy?"

"Of course." Arren snapped. "Now tell me, are you on Kanda's side?"

"Kanda?" Tyki asked, confused. "What's he got to do with this?"

"He tried to kill me!" Arren cried. "Are you kidding me? Don't you know? I left the note!"

"The note?" Tyki relaxed slightly, knowing what Arren was talking about now. "I know that you wrote it, Arren. It was your handwriting; anyone could have recognized it. But you're wrong. It's not Kanda—"

He was interrupted Arren's angry cry and before he knew it, Arren had wrenched himself out of his hold and was plummeting to the ground.

"Stupid boy!" Tyki seethed as he quickly went after Arren, still holding onto Rabi. "Hold on!" He warned Rabi and then dived towards the falling teen.

As if knowing that Arren was falling, black tendrils started to gather beneath Arren; another portal was opening. A hand started to make its way out of the portal…

Arren screamed angrily, seeming to lash out at the appearance of the skeletal hand. A bright flash of light blinded everyone in the vicinity and when they could see again, the portal was closed and Arren was not falling anymore.

He was found in a bundle of white threads, hanging from the flag pole with a slightly dazed and disgruntled expression. Tyki shook his head, making his way to the boy; Arren, or Allen as he was also known, could always manage to wear such contrary expressions…

**DPLSDPLSDPLS**

"Explain." Arren ordered as Tyki locked the door behind them. They had relocated to a rickety old hut somewhere out in the middle of nowhere after Tyki managed to calm Arren down and promised that he would explain everything to him.

"Nine hundred years ago, you were killed." Tyki started. "We figured that it had something to do with you having discovered the truth about the Taint that Beelzebub had left upon all the Exorcists when he died."

"Wait," Arren interrupted. "The Taint?"

"Yes. Don't you rememeber?" Tyki asked.

Arren frowned. "I remember some things," He said. "But not everything. Like I can remember the hazy image of Kanda as he killed me… Memories of being in the Order…"

"The Final Battle?"

"No. I have no recollection, although I can garner it is the battle between us and the Noahs?" Arren guessed.

"If that's so, then how do I fit into it?" Tyki challenged. Arren scowled.

"As I said, I don't remember. So explain." Arren snapped.

"And why me?" Tyki asked.

"Because there's no one else, you dummy! Lavi, Lenalee and Komui don't remember, I can't trust Kanda; only Bookman seems to know, but even so, he doesn't remember, either. I haven't met anyone else from my Exorcist days… Cross most likely can remember snatches, which would explain his attitude, but even he can't tell me the complete truth because he died too early." Arren seethed. "Now will you get on with it?"

Tyki inclined his head respectfully and began the story from the beginning of the events leading up to the Final Battle.


	9. Remember

Chapter 8

"Damn," Tyki cursed suddenly, peering out of the window of their hide-out. "He's here."

"Who?" Rabi asked dumbly.

"It's Beelzebub, Lavi." Arren told him. "Didn't you listen to what we were talking about?"

"Tired." Rabi whined and turned over on his side to return to the doze he had been in earlier. Arren huffed irritably, looking quite worried. He shook Rabi.

"Come on, Rabi. We need to leave." Arren said.

"Dun wanna." Rabi replied obstinately. Arren was reminded intensely of how Lavi would do this… only that this was Rabi, a slightly different character from the real Lavi.

"Leave him." Tyki said. "He's under Beelzebub's control. We can't do anything to help him."

"Beelzebub's control?" Arren spluttered, feeling helpless. "How did he manage to catch Lavi so quickly?"

"He had the Taint before, Allen." Tyki looked back at him sharply. "The remaining marks left from the Taint will fade, eventually. But until then, it will still be easy for Beelzebub to reach out for those who were marked before."

"I can't leave him here, though!" Arren argued. "He's my friend!"

"And Beelzebub will follow us if we continue to take him." Tyki replied coldly. "It's him or us."

"We could leave him at the Order!"

"Too late." Tyki shook his head. "We wouldn't make it. It's either we escape now, or die."

"I—" Arren stopped when he heard the howl of hellhounds. He wavered, his mind dragging another scene where he had been in a similar situation…

_Howls._

_They were the first sign that he was in trouble. Allen cursed weakly, knowing that he was about to die. He should have left with Kanda. He had had a premonition of sorts that something bad was about to happen…_

_Allen struggled to sit up on the couch, just as the door burst open and the hellhounds burst in, surrounding him, snarling and growling. One of them attempted to leapt at him and take him down, but Allen swatted him away easily, his angelic power destroying the hellhound._

"_Beelzebub." Allen hissed, seeing the cloaked figure appear in the doorway, right behind his hellhouds. "You wouldn't get away with this."_

"_Wouldn't get away with what?" the figure spoke and Allen froze, recognizing the voice immediately. _

"_Kanda?" He stammered weakly. "But… This can't be…"_

"_I never knew that your trust in me was this weak, Allen." The figure pulled the cloak off himself, revealing Kanda Yuu._

"_But… but… you're lying!" Allen cried desperately, "Kanda would never… he would never betray me!"_

"_You're weak, Allen. Beansprout. I have never loved you. I joined Beelzebub, after Alma died. Alma was the only one that I loved." Kanda laughed cruelly. "And now you're going to die too."_

"_You…I…" Allen stuttered, shocked by Kanda's revelation. "Why?" he finally settled, conflicting emotions warring in him._

"_Because I have never loved you." Kanda replied coldly and twitched his fingers. The hellhounds leapt at Allen, but Allen never saw anything else, except the cold face of Kanda Yuu and the smirk that played upon his face when pain tore through Allen's body._

…

_When the pain had stopped and they had left, Allen gathered what strength he had left to etch the painful truth onto the paper that Kanda had left behind. Each word was a curse, each letter took his life away from him…_

_And then when he was finished, his hand fell to his side, limp._

**DPLSDPLS**

Allen breathes sharply, returning to the present. All of the sudden, his lost memories surge back, clamouring for him to take notice of them. He has to remember. He has a duty; one long forgotten when the Taint started to affect him.

It was never Kanda. It was Beelzebub, wearing the guise of Kanda.

He should have seen it coming, Allen thought to himself.

"Allen," Tyki said, concerned by Allen's behaviour. "We will have to fight. Do you still remember how to fight?"

"Yes," Allen rasped. "Goddamn, Tyki, I'm not like some invalid." He pushed past Tyki, heading towards the door before he paused. "I remember, now." He threw over his shoulder. "It was Beelzebub."

He could feel Tyki's relief as he threw the door open. Hellhounds had surrounded their hide-out, prowling around the premises, waiting for the signal to attack. Behind them, were the wraiths, powerful beings from Hell, second to the demons' powers.

"Beelzebub," Allen greeted coldly, noticing the figure standing in the relative safety away from the hut. "You came."

"Of course I did." Beelzebub replied smoothly, "I wanted to see that your demise and make sure that you wouldn't come back… the last time I made the mistake of leaving you with your powers, enabling you to reincarnate…"

"You bastard." Allen spat, a full cloak flaring into existence, settling on his shoulders as his arm transformed into a black clawed arm.

Beelzebub laughed. "Yes, come get me, Allen." He said tauntingly. "Let's play."

**DPLSDPLSDPLS**

Tyki hissed in pain as another welt appeared from the hellfire that a wraith had conjured. He set the Tease on the wraith, the Tease launching upon their prey eagerly and sucking the dark matter up.

"Allen! We need to leave soon!" Tyki called to Allen, who was battling with Beelzebub. They didn't have any time left; they were overpowered, outnumbered. They couldn't hold up for long.

Allen didn't reply, but only fought more intensely with Beelzebub, getting angrier with Beelzebub's mocking laughter and taunting insults.

"Allen!" Tyki called, concerened. This was getting out of hand. Allen could be killed.

Allen cried out as Beelzebub suddenly struck out, slamming him to one side. He crumpled to the ground, limp from the shock of the strike. Beelzebub laughed triumphantly, making towards Allen; knowing that Tyki had noticed what was happening and was desperately trying to make his way towards them.

"It was a pity that the Taint didn't work on you as well. Maybe it was because of the fact that you are an angel of death and you could manipulate it to your own will…" Beelzebub frowned at that thought. "But never mind, if I kill you right now, Neah will never be able to defeat me. And seeing as you carry quite a bit of power…" Beelzebub smirked. "It'll be a nice snack, at least."

And then, he lifted his arm, a dagger gleaming in it, ready to end Allen's life.

But at that moment, a katana flew at him and Beelzebub was forced to jump away from Allen. Everyone turned to look at the newcomer.

Kanda Yuu glared angrily at Beelzebub. "That's the last time that you try to kill my lover, you bastard," He snarled. "I'll kill you right now."

Beelzebub seemed to smile in amusement. "Really, now? I do wonder how you managed to get out of that trap, Kanda…"

Kanda cursed. Then he turned to look at Allen. "It's good to see you alive again, beansprout." He grunted. "I missed you." He admitted grudgingly.

Then he flew at Beelzebub.


	10. Merging

Chapter 9

"I'll keep him off you!" Kanda yelled to Tyki. "Get Allen to Neah right now!"

"What did you see, Kanda?" Tyki shouted back, over the sounds of fighting. He grabbed Allen, who was staring at Kanda with a slightly shocked and dazed expression.

"Damn, Allen, this is definitely not a time to get distracted." Tyki shook Allen slightly as the Tease took care of their attackers.

"He's got an army built up down there!" Kanda shouted back as Beelzebub aimed for his throat.

"Shut up!" Beelzebub snarled, his skeletal figure emanating dark energy. "You ruin my plans, Kanda Yuu!"

"And you destroyed my life." Kanda snarled back.

Beelzebub smiled back. "And I enjoyed the act."

**DPLSDPLSDPLS**

Tyki dragged Allen higher into the sky, glad that only the wraiths were able to pursue them at this point. He held them off with his Tease as he travelled to the invisible door that served as a portal to Heaven. He would need to get there quickly; the situation was dire and Allen seemed like breaking down any time soon.

"Why didn't he do anything?" Allen murmured in a broken little voice. "Why did he seem to… hate me? Why, Tyki?"

Tyki paused, slightly unwilling to talk to Allen. There had been many things he had been hiding from Allen when he relayed the events that had happened. He had not expected Kanda to act this way, to display the truth this blatantly. How would he explain this to Allen, Kanda's lover?

"Hello, brother." Tyki looked up, slightly relieved at the interruption. "Road, Lulubell," he greeted them. "Here to help?"

Road looked at him coldly, reaching out for Allen. Tyki handed the injured boy over gingerly, knowing that Road was going to do something drastic. Road smiled at Allen, softly kissing him on the cheek, ignoring Tyki's wince.

Lulubell cleared her throat, "I will go to help Kanda." She suggested and disappeared as soon as she said it, leaving the trio behind.

Road ignored Tyki all the while, helping Allen to regain his balance and encouraging her in a quiet voice on how to stand in the mid air like how the angels were doing now. Allen managed it shakily, looking at Road gratefully.

"Thank you." He whispered. Road beamed at him.

"Anything for you, brother." She replied sincerely. "Now, I believe that Tyki has left something out in his story." Here, she glared at her brother angel. Tyki winced and looked away.

"What?" Allen asked, looking lost and fearful at what Road might reveal. "What's wrong?"

"After Kanda was somewhat able to get past your death, he had a relationship with Tyki, here." Road told him, still glaring at Tyki. "Regardless of the fact that Kanda loved you. Tyki has always been obsessed with you and Kanda, you know… A bit of a perverse part time of his, but still," She shrugged. "When you died, it was a bit of an opportunity. Of course, if it were the other way round, Tyki would have been alright with it."

Allen gaped. Tyki avoided his accusing stare.

Eventually, Allen sighed and looked down. "I knew that he would not wait for me," he admitted. "After everything that had happened… We're still human, in a way. I think we'll need to take some time to think over everything that has happened. We need some time to consider our relationship and I am willing to accept that it's over with us. Just now, when I looked at him… It seemed like it was so."

"You can't think of it like that, Allen!" Road argued. "I'm sure Kanda still loves you—"

"No, it's over, Road." Allen said quietly. "And Tyki, I forgive you. There's no need to look so guilty. Thanks for looking after him, anyway."

Tyki relaxed slightly and shrugged.

"And with that over, let's get on with the trip." Allen looked around him. "I think your Tease are being decimated, Tyki."

He was right. The wraiths were learning to work together to take the Tease down and now it was only the added defence of Road's Dream powers that managed to keep them at bay. Tyki and Road grabbed Allen by his arms and pulled him up into the sky, racing against the wraiths as they streamed behind them. A few managed to get close, but they were killed before they could do anything.

"Neah has not been well," Road told him as they surged towards the invisible door. "Nine hundred years without your presence has taken its toll on him. He can barely manage to carry out his duties now."

"What?" Allen gasped. Road narrowed her eyes and glared at Tyki.

"You didn't tell him?" She asked accusingly. Tyki shook his head.

"I was planning to tell him when he had regained all his memories." He explained. "But everything happened too quickly and there wasn't any time."

Road sniffed at his excuse, before turning back to Allen. "Anyway, on account that you have been away for so long and Neah is so weak, you'll have to stay for about two hundred years before you can leave again."

Allen pouted adorably. "I hate sharing a body with Neah." He replied.

Road and Tyki grinned at his reaction, already anticipating the quarrels that would be coming up. "We'll look forward to it." Tyki promised.

Allen grunted in non-amusement.

**DPLSDPLSDPLSDPLS**

They were bought to a halt in front of the invisible entrance. Road fumbled for the key to the door while Tyki kept Allen close, fighting off the wraiths. Allen joined in, allowing his Innocence, Crown Clown to take out some of the wraiths, but did not let it go too far, for fear that the hellfire would catch it.

"Tyki, there's something wrong with the door!" Road shouted in panic, yanking at the door for all she was worth.

A cold laugh sounded behind them and the three angels whirled around to see Beelzebub floating in the air, holding a limp Kanda and Lulubell in his hands. Allen cried out, seeing his family and ex-lover captured by the enemy.

"Release them!" He cried, jumping forward. "You bastard!"

"Language, Allen." Beelzebub laughed. "Although it's impossible for you to do anything, I believe."

Allen glared, red tainting the edges of his vision. Road tugged futilely on the door, then she turned to Allen.

"Allen! Help me!" Allen quickly flitted to Road's side, his eyes on the smiling Beelzebub the whole time. He tried to use his powers to unlock the door, but the door resisted their efforts. Allen frowned.

"What did you do?" He directed the question to Beelzebub, his suspicion growing. "What have you done?"

Beelzebub shrugged. "Oh, nothing. I just made use of your sister to lock the door. Great puppets, aren't they?" he shook Lulubell. "I regret losing control of the Noahs, though."

"There were never such creatures like the Noahs." Allen snarled. "They were all under your control."

"Ah, that's true." Beelzebub nodded. "And for a while, you were, too."

Allen spat a curse at him. Beelzebub made a tsking noise. "Language, Allen. Or I might have to resort to drastic actions."

Allen's gaze dropped to the limp prisoners in Beelzebub's hands and wisely shut up. Beelzebub gloated. Road leaned in slightly.

"Allen," her voice was barely a whisper, only Allen could hear it. "There's another way to get to Heaven. The Ark. Noah's Ark. We can use that to communicate with the others, for Noah's Ark is as much a part of us as it is controlled by you and Adam.

"Open the Ark, Allen. Use your voice to call the others." Then she fell silent.

Allen pondered over her idea for a moment, watching as Road tried to buy some time for him as she and Tyki started to pester Beelzebub about his plans. The wraiths were closing in now and the Tease were nearly gone…

He closed his eyes and hummed the song in his mind, the score reappearing, the lyrics singing themselves. Neah singing the lyrics with him.

_We're at the door._

There was a vague sense of understanding that touched his mind, before it was gone. Allen opened his eyes and saw Beelzebub starting to get irritated.

"Maybe I should just kill all of you now." He said, annoyed and angry at some of the insults that Tyki had thrown at him. He raised a hand, ready to kill his prisoners first, when the sky split and a jagged structure appeared from the break in space and time. A bright flash of energy hurtled towards Beelzebub, catching the surprised demon in the chest and blasting him away from his prisoner and the three angels.

"Allen." Neah said, stepping from the Ark, Adam and the other angels following him. Wisely and Road hurried towards Lulubell and Kanda. "We need to merge now."

Allen studied Neah as he approached him. Road was right, Neah looked sick. His eyes no longer gleamed that brightly and his black hair had turned white, like his. His skin had turned pale; it was as if he were fading.

Beelzebub attempted to attack them, but Adam stopped him, engaging him in battle. Beelzebub was strong, but Adam was as strong as him; although it was only Neah who could truly vanquish him.

The two separate parts of Neah reached forward… And there was a brilliant flash of light, stopping the battle momentarily until it faded.

Neah appeared, fully recovered and joined with Allen. He strode towards the cowering Beelzebub, and in a loud voice, began to speak the words that would unravel Beelzebub's existence.


	11. To Wait

Akirina: The end of the story! Thanks to all out there who've been reading! Well, wait for the sequel! It should be out on 14th August... Countdown! I particularly enjoyed writing the few chaps of this story...

Chapter 10

Beelzebub was destroyed.

A council had commenced, whereby Neah had reported what had happened to their Lord and the other angels added in their findings as well. The fact that they kept this from their Lord was not surprising to Allen. He had known that they would keep this from their Lord. Who knew what the situation would have developed into if he had known?

He had been trying to avoid Kanda, knowing that the man had caused Allen grief and he wasn't willing to let Allen meet him so soon. But Kanda had a knack for finding them and he wasn't going to give up any time soon.

So Neah stopped in the Moonlit Gardens were he always dwelled in, waiting.

Eventually, Kanda stepped out from the shadows, revealing himself. Neah allowed himself a moment to be shocked by his appearance. Kanda was gaunt, there was a tired look in his sapphire eyes and he had cut the beautiful long blue hair that was once part of who he was. His brows were drawn together and his face was conflicted. He no longer had the air of pride around him. Kanda was always proud of who he was, it was a vital part of Kanda himself.

This was no longer the Kanda that he knew. This Kanda was changed.

"Kanda." Neah nodded slightly.

Kanda's face looked pinched. He shifted nervously. "I owe you an explanation." He started.

"You bloody well do." Neah snarled. "What the hell were you thinking? Allen loved you. He thought you would love him, regardless of everything that happened."

Kanda winced. There was nothing he could do. "I'm sorry." He offered. "I… I didn't think."

"Damn right." Neah bit out tightly. "And so? Why are you here?"

"I'm here to explain myself, if you'd hear it." Kanda forced himself to say, meeting Neah's eyes. Something within Neah softened.

_Let me speak with him._

Neah subsided reluctantly and Allen took over.

"If you can't start, Kanda, don't force yourself. I'll wait until the day you decide to tell me the truth." Allen said gently.

Kanda choked slightly with sadness, grief and guilt. Nine hundred years without Allen had taken its toll on Kanda. "Actually," He said, "I'm not going to come back any time soon. The Lord has released me from my duty and I have made my choice. I wish to rest."

Allen stared at Kanda sadly, then he nodded with a sigh. "I knew that it would come to this, one day."

"I'm sorry." Kanda said, through a choked voice.

"It's alright, Kanda." Allen stepped forward to envelop his ex-lover in a hug. "I'll wait until the time you decide to come back and tell me the truth. Until then, I'll always be waiting."

"Maybe," Kanda whispered. "Maybe we don't have to break up… Just taking a break to reconsider our relationship, is that alright? And when we meet again, we can start all over again."

"Yes." Allen agreed. "I'll wait."

And then he stood there, hugging Kanda, until the man stopped breathing. Then Allen laid him in his favourite pond and watched as water lilies bloomed in the place of the body. Blue water lilies.

And then, he waited.

**The End**


	12. Sequel

Hello readers!

Sequel to Dark Passes and Light Shines is up! It is called [Echoing Back From the Past]. Well... that is the end of the Reawakening Trilogy... so... yeah...

If there is anything that you'd like me to write, don't hesitate to leave a PM or review!

Thanks!

Akirina


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